Accessory for heavy duty connectors



July 21, l970 v. l.. cARlsslMl ACCESSORY FOR HEAVY DUTY CONNECTORS Filed Sept. 26, 1967 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,521,218 ACCESSORY FOR HEAVY DUTY CONNECTORS Vincent L. Carissimi, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to Harvey Hubbell, Incorporated, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 26, 1967, Ser. N0. 670,677 Int. Cl. Hlr 13/32 U.S. Cl. 339-44 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An accessory anti-rotation device for preventing relative rotation between a portable electric connector and a fixed electrical receptacle having a hinged cover, the device including a planar body portion positionable upon the non-mating end of the connector and a flag portion extending radially outwardly from and in a plane normal to the body for cooperating with the raised cover and preventing rotation when the connector and receptacle are coupled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an accessory for heavy duty electrical connectors and more particularly to an antirotation device for preventing relative rotation between heavy duty caps and outlet receptacles.

One type of known wiring device includes a connector body in which the attachment plug-in cap may be locked after insertion therein by limited relative turning movement of the cap. Removal of the cap from the connector body is permitted by a reverse turning of the cap. Thus there is provided a lock against straight pull-out.

Heavy duty devices of this type, i.e., those having a high current ratings, as for example, 60 ampere, 600 volt A.C. four or five wire devices-must of necessity be provided with large power supply cables which when twisted have a tendency to return to their normal state and exert considerable torsional forces on the connector components. In those applications where ya `connector cap and body are coupled with this type of locking action, the return twisting torque of the cables tends to rotate the connector components in unison. However, in applications where it becomes necessary to connect a cap with an outlet receptacle (i.e. a fixed `connector body) of this locking type, the twisting torque applied to the cap by its cable tends to turn the cap relative to the outlet receptacle and may cause accidental disconnection of the connector components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide an accessory device for preventing accidental disconnection of the heavy duty so-called locking type wiring devices.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive, easily applied accessory which will prevent relative rotation between the heavy duty cap and receptacles and which can be quickly and easily circumvented by an operator for manual removal of the cap.

To accomplish these objects in one form, an accessory anti-rotation device is provided which may be easily mounted upon a portable electrical connector for preventing relative rotation between the connector and a xed electrical receptacle having a spring hinged protective cover at its mating end, the device including a mounting portion for being mounted on the connector and a locking portion positionable at the non-mating end of the connector and extending radially outwardly of the connector when mounted thereon for interfering with a portion of the spring hinged cover.

3,521,2l8 Patented July 2l, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other objects and further details of that which I believe to be novel and my invention will be clear from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a heavy duty cap coupled with a heavy duty outlet receptacle having a usual hinged cover and including the anti-rotation device of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the non-mating end of a cap with the anti-rotation device mounted thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring in detail to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a heavy duty outlet receptacle 10 having a weatherproof housing 12 within which is a usual connector body (not shown) secured by means of the screws 14 passing through the end wall of the housing 12. The housing is mounted upon a wall or other fixed support S with screws 16 which pass through a mounting flange 18 formed at one end of the housing. A heavy duty power supply cable 20, shown as a four wire cable by way of example, passes through an opening O in the support wall S through the end wall of the housing 12, is strain relieved by means of the usual cable clamp 22 and is suitably wired to the connector body. At the mating end of the housing 12 there is located a usual spring hinged protective cover 24 which is secured to a boss 26 formed on the housing. The cover includes a lifting tab 2S diametrally opposing the hinge which tab is used for lifting the spring hinged cover 24 out of the way against the bias of the hinge when a connector cap 30 is inserted into the outlet receptacle.

The connector cap includes a usual cable clamp 32 secured to the heavy duty power cable 34 which supplies electric current to the powered equipment. A protective cover 36 surrounds the usual metal shell 38 and is secured thereto by means of the four equally spaced assembly screws 40 having Shanks 54 and heads 56.

There is best illustrated in FIG. 3 an accessory antirotation device secured yto the non-mating end wall 43 of the heavy duty connector cap 30 which device comprises an arcuate mounting portion 44 having two radial slots 46 spaced approximately ninety degrees apart, a radially outwardly extending portion 48 terminating in a substantially normal tab 50 which is formed substantially concentric with the arcuate portion 44 and terminates` in an angularly upstanding flag 52. It should be appreciated that the yanti-rotation device 42 may be quickly and easily mounted upon the heavy duty connector cap 30l by merely placing the mounting portion 44 adjacent the non-mating end lwall 43 of the connector cap with the Shanks 54 of the assembly screws 40 positioned in the slots 46 and then tightening the screws to urge the screw heads 56 against the mounting portion 44.

Once the anti-rotation device 42 is secured in place, it should be understood that in order to assemble the connector and receptacle, the operator need merely lift the cover 24 in the usual manner, insert the connector 30 into the outlet receptacle 10, turn the cap to its locking position and release the spring hinged cover 24 for allowing the lifting tab 28` to assume its normal position against the connector cap. Accidental disconnection due to reverse torsional forces induced by the heavy duty cable 34 is prevented because the flag 52 is urged against the lifting -tab 218. However, manual disconnection is easily accomplished by simply lifting the cover '24 out of the way 3 and applying the usual reverse turning and withdrawal forces to the connector cap 30. The flag 52 has been formed to extend angularly upwardly for serving as a ramp over which the lifting tab 2=8 may ride if the spring hinged cover 24 is inadvertently released prior to locking the connector cap in the outlet receptacle.

The accessory anti-rotation device 42 may be mounted upon the connector cap either at the factory or in the field. If the device 421 had been mounted at the factory and the connector body had been secured in the housing 12 in a different position, the device 42 could simply be removed and reassembled under the heads 56 of another pair of the assembly screws 40 so as to locate the diag 52 in the proper relationship relative to the lifting tab 28.

In the illustrated form of my invention, the connecting device is a male member and the fixed device is a female member. It should be understood, of course, `that my invention may be equally applied to inlet receptacles wherein the iixed device is a male Amember and the connecting device is a female member.

Other configurations of the anti-rotation device are possible, such as, the forma-tion of a slot in the underside of the lifting tab 28 into which a male mating portion of the auxiliary piece may be inserted, or the formation of a device similar to that described being integral with and adjacent the non-mating end of the protective cover 36.

It should be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by `way of example, and that numerous changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and the scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. For use with a locking type portable connector and a fixed locking type electrical receptacle having a spring hinged protective cover at its mating end and to prevent relative unlocking rotation between the connector and the receptacle when coupled, an anti-rotation device removably mounted on an end wall of the connector including a ramp portion extending radially outwardly of the periphery of the connector engaging a portion of the protective cover while the connector is being rotated to a locked position and a locking portion extending radially outwardly of the periphery of the connector for interfer ence with a portion of the protective cover when the connector and the receptacle are coupled.

2. For use with a locking type portable electrical connector and a fixed locking type electrical receptacle having a spring hinged protective cover at its mating end and to prevent relative unlocking rotation between the connector and the receptacle when coupled, an anti-rotation accessory device including a planar mounting portion removably mounted on the planar non-mating end Wall of the connector, a ramp portion secured to said planar mounting portion extending radially outwardly of the periphery of the connector engaging `a portion of the protective cover while the connector is being rotated to a locked position, and a looking portion secured to said planar mounting portion, extendable radially outwardly of the periphery of the connector to interfere with a portion of the spring hinged protective cover `when the connector and receptacle are coupled.

3. For use with a locking type portable electrical connector and a fixed locking type electrical receptacle having a spring hinged protective cover at its mating end and to prevent relative unlocking rotation between the connector and the receptacle when coupled, an antirotation removable accessory device mountable adjacent the non-mating end of the connector including an arcuate planar mounting portion which is substantially concentric with the end wall of the connector and includes two radially extending spaced slots therein for receiving the Shanks of assembly screws which pass through the non-mating end wall of the connector and a locking por tion secured to said planar mounting portion, extendable radially outwardly of the periphery of the connector to interfere with a portion of the spring hinged protective cover when the connector and receptacle are coupled.

4. For use with a locking type portable electrical connector and a iixed locking type electrical receptacle having a spring hinged protective cover at its mating end and to prevent relative unlocking rotation between the connector and the receptacle when coupled, an anti-rotation removable accessory device mountable adjacent the nonmating end of the connector including a planar mounting portion securable to the planar non-mating end ywall of the connector and a locking portion including an angularly outwardly extending flag portion positioned to serve as a ramp for engaging and lifting the protective cover when the connector is turned in one direction to lock with the receptacle and to serve as a stop member to prevent the connector from turning in the opposite direction.

5. For use with a locking type portable electrical connector and a fixed locking type electrical receptacle having a spring hinged protective cover at its mating end and to prevent relative unlocking rotation between the connector and the receptacle when coupled, an anti-rotation removable accessory device mountable adjacent the non-mating end of the connector including: an arcuate planar mounting portion which is substantially concentric with the end wall of the connector and includes two radially extending slots therein for receiving the Shanks of assembly screws which pass through the non-mating end wall of the connector; and a locking portion including an angularly outwardly extending flag .portion positioned to serve as a ramp for a portion of the protective cover when the connector is turned in one direction to lock with the receptacle and to selve as a stop member to prevent the connector from turning in the opposite direction.

6. In combination with a locking type portable electrical connector having a non-mating circular end wall through which pass spaced assembly screws, and a iixed locking type electrical receptacle having a spring hinged protective cover at its mating end; and anti-rotation de vice as defined in claim 5 secured to said connector end wall.

7. In combination with a locking type portable electrical connector having a non-mating circular end wall through which pass spaced assembly screws, and a fixed locking type electrical receptacle having a spring hinged protective cover at its mating end, an anti-rotation device icluding a planar mounting portion secured to the planar non-mating end wall of the connector lby means of said assembly screws and a locking portion secured to said planar mounting portion extending radially outwardly of the periphery of the connector to interfere with a portion of the spring hinged protective cover when the connector and receptacle are coupled.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,593,582 7/1926 Leo l5l-48 1,630,401 5/1927 Meyer 339-44 1,730,475 10/1929 Pelletier 151-48 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

